


Run Boy Run

by orphan_account



Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety, F/M, Gen, vent fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:47:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22125847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: The minute EJ takes the jersey out of his hands and he's put on his Red and White shirt, Ricky's gone.He doesn't give EJ anytime to even return the jersey or object to his offer.He's out of the dressing room and he's running.
Relationships: Ricky Bowen & Nini Salazar-Roberts
Comments: 9
Kudos: 94





	Run Boy Run

The minute EJ takes the jersey out of his hands and he's put on his Red and White shirt, Ricky's gone. 

He doesn't give EJ anytime to even return the jersey or object to his offer. 

He's out of the dressing room and he's running. 

He's running faster than when he, Red, and Nini used to play tag during the summer days when they were little kids. He's running faster than all the times in middle school where he had been chased by the older kids who bullied him for no reason, (As Nini had told him. But he can think of a million different reasons of why he could deserve the torment but now is not the time for past and definitely unwanted memories.) 

He's running faster than the times when he had to get out of the house when his parents screaming match began a constant staple in his house as he grew older.

He's running away, because he knows if he's onstage for another minute, he throws away any chance of Nini of making it into the school of her dreams and the place she was born to be. 

Ricky can't do that to her, because Nini deserves the world and him being gone and out of her way is the only way she'll be able to achieve it.

So he's running and nothing and nobody can stop him. 

He runs past the faceless groups that are crowding the hallway, along with the glances they're throwing his way. He knows they can see the panic on his face and that makes his stomach churn faster and even harder.

He doesn't exactly know where he's running but he knows it's as far as he can get away from the gym and all the people in the cast who are most definitely disappointed in him. 

The sound of his shoes are the only things he can hear, other the obvious pounding of his heartbeat and the breathe he just can't seem to catch.

He runs past Mr. Mazzara making sure there isn't a chance for him to ask any questions and when he's made his way around yet another corner he's able to find the only bathroom on the first floor that he won't be able to easily found in.

He pushes the heavy door open and he collapses into the closest stall and locks it, shutting himself out of the world, hiding himself away so that the other who worked so fucking hard can finish the show off with him weighing down the whole team, they'll all succeed without him and that would be perfectly fine for him.

He's at the point of hyperventilating and he's not exactly sure when the tears started streaming down his face, but it's all there and there's no point in trying to get rid of them.

He knows he should of let E.J play Troy in the first place. Ricky got way to over his head and he feels like shit. He's probably derailed any chance of Nini getting into YAC and it fucking kills him. 

Everything going wrong, so he hopes to god that his choice made things right.

This is all for his best friend, the only girl who knows what he's about so he's gonna put her needs ahead of him, because she means everything to him and nothings gonna change that.

It makes it worse when he lets out a choke of a sob and he's come to the realization that he's most likely going to pass out from lack of oxygen, but he just _can't_ seem to catch his breath. 

He hate this, he hates all of this so much. He just wishes he would've been able to make it through one night, but of course he had to see _that_ and he couldn't even rebound from it without running from his problems. 

There's the sound of the door creaking open and his breathe hitches and he's trying to not make himself seen but the knock is cue enough that he's been found. 

"Ricky? Are you in here?" 

It's Nini, Nini who should be on stage, not looking for him. Nini who should be performing in her leading role for everyone to see how talented she is, and how much she deserved to get it.

"Um, yeah." He croaks out trying to wipe away the tears on his face. 

"Ricky please let me in, okay?" Her calm voice is like a halting presence to his downfall, he thinks over for a second, he doesn't want her to see him in this state, but he also knows that if he doesn't respond she find someway to get through to him. So he makes the decision to move his arm up and quickly unlatches the door. She pushes it open and closes it again before sliding down to join him on the floor.

"Hey are you okay?" She asks as she places a hand on his knee trying to help calm him down, but the words are already flying out of his mouth.

"You should be onstage, why aren't you up there?" He trying to slow his breathe, but he just _can't_. 

"We called an extended intermission, EJ said you weren't doing well so we all went looking for you." Nini said trying to calm him but it did the opposite in his mind. They stopped the show to find him when they would have definitely been better off without him. It sinks into his chest about how fucking stupid this whole thing is and how he just _cant fucking breathe._

"Ricky you're shaking, please tell me what's wrong I wanna help." Though she sees how badly he's shaking and starts digging through her pocket and he can't figure out what she trying to grab. It takes her a moment to look through the backpack she brought along with her, but she ends up pulling out the thing he may need most.

His inhaler, he doesn't even know where she got it from but she passes it off to him without a word and he instantly takes it up to his mouth and takes a breathe through it. Nini still holding her hand on his knee, though she takes his free hand in his and grips it as his body shakes. 

"You're okay Ricky, you're okay." Nini reassures as he keeps taking in puffs. "Just take in some deep breathes with me." 

It was after another few minutes before Ricky could finally seem to get his breathing under control. 

"Thank you Nini." Though his breathing had steady and his tears had stopped streaming, he couldn't stop his body from shaking; but Nini didn't care in the slightest. 

"You know it's no issue at all Ricky, we were all really worried about you." Nini says trying to comfort him but it makes him somehow feel even worse. " You were amazing up there."

Something deep down make him think that she's lying to him, but he knows her way to well for that to be true. "We all just wanna know you told EJ to take your spot."

He lets out deep breathe and begins to spill his guts. "I was having an awesome time out there and I was enjoying every moment of it but, I was up in that harness and looked down and I saw my there," Nini lets him take the pause as she hangs onto every word he says. "She was there, and so was her new boyfriend and I just kinda froze out there and derailed the whole rest of the dance." 

Nini pulled him in for a hug holding on tight to him. "You know you could've talked to me. You know i'm always here for you." He rested his head onto her shoulder.

"I know but Carlos and Kourtney were saying you very freaking out about the dean of YAC being here, and I knew I had to let EJ play Troy instead since you deserved to have the best shot at getting into that school." Ricky replied which made Nini's heartbreak.

"Ricky," Nini sighed as she pulled away, still holding onto his hands. "You're the reason i've been doing so well tonight Ricky. There's no one else i'd want to share the stage with and you know this. Honestly your mom is the one who ruined this for you and you don't deserve this in the slightest. You deserve so much better than this." Ricky felt like tearing up, though in a goodway. "Yes , YAC is the litteral school of my dreams but that doesn't matter right now. I wanna finish the night with you by my side." She finally paused and gave Ricky a minute to think.

It was an awkward bout of time and silence before Ricky squeezed tightly on her hands. "Okay, I'll do it, i'll finish the show." Ricky said which caused both of them to break out in a smile as Nini pulled him in for a tight embrace. 

Nini would always be his rock, no matter what his mind told him. He had her and she had him, and they would both be alright.


End file.
